From ‘Lost India’ To ‘Special Relationship’: A Damage Control U-Turn By US President Trump?

The strain in the India-US ties would be visible to anyone, unless they have been living under a rock. President Donald Trump’s tenure so far has been rather a perky one, at least for himself. Whether its trade of tariffs, Trump isn’t appearing to be far-sighted, otherwise why would a world leader do what the US President is doing.

After a week of fiery rhetoric and strained remarks targeting New Delhi, US President Donald Trump moved quickly into damage control mode. On Friday (September 5, 2025), he declared that the United States and India share a “special relationship” and that there is “nothing to worry about.”

His conciliatory words came just hours after a sharp post on his social platform “Truth Social,” where he claimed to have “lost India and Russia to China.”

India-US Tensions: What sparked the latest series?

While Trump is already agitated over India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, what apparently added fuel to the fire was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pictures with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin from the recently concluded SCO summit 2025.

Posting a picture of the Indian, Chinese and Russian leaders on Truth Social, Trump said that the US has “lost Russia and India to deepest, darkest China.” “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!” Trump wrote.

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115151159839778614/embed

Earlier this week on Monday (September 1, 2025), Trump called the US’ relationship with India a “one sided disaster” while referring to the trade imbalance between the two countries. Trump’s remark came as PM Modi, along with several other world leaders, huddled in China for the SCO summit.

Did Trump take a U-turn on his recent remarks?

Just a few hours after stating that the United States has lost India, Trump described that the India and US have a “very special relationship”, noting that he and Prime Minister Modi would always be friends and that there is “nothing to worry about”. However, he expressed displeasure over what “he (PM Modi) is doing” in contemporary times.

When asked by ANI, “Are you ready to reset relations with India at this point?”, Trump said, “I always will. I’ll always be friends with (PM) Modi. He’s a great Prime Minister. I’ll always be friends, but I just don’t like what he is doing at this particular moment. But India and the United States have a very special relationship. There is nothing to worry about. We just have moments on occasion”.

To lighten the mood, he recalled a personal anecdote from a joint press conference with Modi in the Rose Garden: “It was soaking wet… everybody ruined their shoes. That was my last news conference on the grass.”

What role did Trump’s aides play in escalating the rhetoric?

While Trump backtracked, some of his aides doubled down. White House trade counselor Peter Navarro, already ridiculed in the US for faking quotes in his book, lashed out at India on social media, accusing it of being “Kremlin’s laundromat” and even calling the Ukraine conflict “Modi’s war.”

Navarro also hinted at targeting Indian outsourcing and remote workers with tariffs, an escalation that could destabilize bilateral economic ties.

How is India responding to US pressure?

India’s response has been a mix of firmness and diplomacy. While Sitharaman firmly asserted New Delhi’s sovereign right to energy choices, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal offered a more measured reassurance, describing current disputes as “temporary wrinkles” in an otherwise consequential partnership.